A communication server provides access to communication facilities. For example, a communication server having a bank of modems may provide subscriber access to the modems for data communication. A communication server may be associated with its own dedicated network or with an existing network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
As networks provide greater connectivity and access to information, there is an increasing demand for data communication at higher rates. For example, Internet sessions may require high data rates to accommodate multimedia information. One solution to provide increased data rates replaces existing twisted pair wiring with high bandwidth media, such as coaxial cable or fiber optic links. Other solutions adopt improved transmission techniques using the existing hardware infrastructure. For example, digital subscriber line (XDSL) technology provides higher bandwidth data service over existing twisted pair wiring.
Data rates supported by a single XDSL line may still be inadequate for demands. One solution involving integrated services digital network (ISDN) bundles multiple lines with the same data rate to increase data capacity for a session. However, this known technique lacks the flexibility or intelligence to provide reliable and economical high bandwidth data communication service using XDSL technology.